SciArt of the Day: MicROCKScopica

Most people equate geology with dull, grey rocks, but petrology Professor Bernardo Cesare is tapping into their spectacular beauty with his MicROCKScopica project. Using a standard technique for analyzing mineral composition of rocks, Cesare cuts and grinds sections of rock into 30-micron-thick slices (that's three-hundredths of a millimeter), mounts them onto microscope slides and shines cross-polarized light through them. The result is a kaleidoscope of color that is as informative as it is beautiful.

Every day in September, we’re bringing you new science-art of the day. How would these images be useful for science communication? STEM education? Enticing people to learn more about science? Do they inspire you or frustrate you? Let us know below!

Kalliopi Monoyios is an independent science illustrator. She has illustrated several popular science books including Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish and The Universe Within, and Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution is True. Find her at www.kalliopimonoyios.com.
Follow on Twitter @symbiartic

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Share this Article:

Comments

Welcome to the Scientific American Blog Network, a forum for a diverse and independent set of voices to share news and opinions and discuss issues related to science. For more information see our About page and Guidelines....more